


Darkness Takes No Prisoners

by tfa2141



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, basic cuddle fluff, they both suffer from nightmares, trauma caused by the events on starkiller base
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 22:36:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5887912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfa2141/pseuds/tfa2141
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even the strongest suffer. Finn and Rey both have recurring nightmares and traumatic flashbacks after the events in the forest on Starkiller Base. They learn to cope together.</p><p>The most basic of nightmare-reducing cuddle stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darkness Takes No Prisoners

The only light that mattered in the forest was the one that was crackling with rage, blood red and harboring an insatiable vengeance. Time after time the lightsaber beams clashed, blinding light setting the forest on fire for an instant every time they met. The dance was dangerous but well-founded, the light and the dark meeting as they had since times long past. The Master of Ren and the First Order deserter who had become a Resistance hero. Nearby the scavenger from Jakku watched as time and time again the boy she’d come to adore was cut by the savage blade. She heard his screams of pain echo through the empty forest over and over again on repeat. She was desperate to help, to scream, to fight back, but found herself paralyzed in place. There wasn’t a sound anywhere in the universe that filled her with as much pain as the one that came from the very bottom of Finn’s lungs, twisted and wrenched by unimaginable pain-

And then everything was quiet, save for the frantic breaths that escaped from Rey’s chest as she was violently pulled from sleep – again. Her throat felt as if it was being burned from the inside out and tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She began to notice that her hands were white at the knuckles, gripping viciously at the blankets that covered her. She took several deep breaths to try and steady the pounding of her heart. Rey couldn’t remember the last night she’d slept well. The creature in the mask haunted her dreams and she couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if he was really in her head.

Often she would shake off these thoughts and remind herself that she was _strong enough to overcome this._ It was simply another bump in the road for her, and over her nineteen years there had been many. Somehow she couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was different.

 

 

In the next room over, Finn could hear Rey moving around in her bed, tossing and turning. He knew without question that she wasn’t sleeping well, because he wasn’t either. It had been a while since he’d slept properly. Finn couldn’t close his eyes without reliving the moment that he’d thought he lost her. He remembered the feeling of the powdered snow around his knees and ankles, cold, biting, and grounding in reality. It was foolish of him to have turned his back on the assailant – Kylo Ren – but none of that mattered in the moment. He was shattered, holding her unresponsive in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand and feel her fingers laced in his because then he knew everything would be alright.

The only time that he could sleep was when he would nearly pass out from exhaustion. He knew the habit wasn’t healthy (and was told so by Doctor Kalonia more times than he could count) but continued to fight against himself. It wasn’t worth it to go through that pain every night.

Something pulled at him to find out if she was awake on the other side of the wall. He reached up behind his bed and knocked his knuckles on the barrier a few times. Hearing no response, Finn figured she was perhaps asleep. He couldn’t contain his smile when three soft knocks answered his, a perfect mirror to the steady rhythm he’d used a moment ago. He knocked back, a gentle _thump, thump_ on the drywall. He heard shuffling on the other side but no reply. Plainly then, two knocks came on the metal surface of the door to his room. Finn’s heart leapt in his throat and he sprang up to unlock it.

Rey was standing in the hallway, wrapped in a blanket she’d stolen off of her bed. She looked impossibly sad and tired and the anxiety he’d felt dissipated into an ache for her pain. “Hi, Rey.” She didn’t hardly look up as she whispered a reply. “Can I come in?” Finn nodded and swung the door open all the way to allow her in. She padded over and sat on the edge of Finn’s bed, and as he shut the door quietly he could hear her sniffling as if she’d been crying. _Oh, no, no. Don’t cry._

He took a seat in the chair across from her. “Couldn’t sleep?” She shook her head. _I can’t help if you don’t talk to me, Rey._ “Do you want to talk about it?” She sat there in silence for a few moments, perhaps gathering her thoughts, before quietly answering. “I’ve been having nightmares.” A pause. “Almost every time I try to sleep, I think about that night in the forest.” Finn swallowed.  He wondered if somehow, impossibly, she knew that he did too. “I see him attacking you and I know I can’t help you. I can’t go through that pain every night, Finn.” “I’m really sorry, Rey. I wish I knew how to…” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I have them too, you know.” For the first time, she looked up from the floor and met his gaze, and Finn could see her eyes were watery. She looked broken. “Every night, I hear your screams when he threw you against that tree. That’s why _I_ haven’t been sleeping.”

Finn saw a recognition in her eyes. _We’re not so different, you and I._ For a moment she looked as if she might break down and cry again, then she patted the edge of the bed to motion him over. He felt a relief as he sat down and she leaned her head against him. A twinge of pain shot through his injured shoulder but he tried to hide his discomfort as best as he could. The blanket Rey had brought with her started to slide off and Finn reached his arm around to pull it back up over her shoulders. When he tried to pull it away, she mumbled something and guided his arm back over her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Rey started to doze off. Her weight as she leaned back on him was too much to hold up and Finn unceremoniously fell completely backwards onto the mattress. Rey, somewhat startled, realized what had happened and they shared a quiet laugh. Finn shifted positions on the bed, which wasn’t quite big enough for the two of them to sleep comfortably without room between them. “You can sleep here if you want. I can always take the chair in the corner, or the floor’s not too bad I guess,” he admitted a little sheepishly. He began to move off of the bed. “No, don’t leave,” Rey pleaded. “Stay, Finn. Please.”

He sighed and slid back onto the mattress, turning to face the wall so as to give her some privacy. He didn’t want to push her too far. She was still somewhat nervous about trusting other people, and he didn’t think sleeping, at her most vulnerable, was any exception. He was taken aback when she started to slide closer to him, pressing into his back. _Ouch_. “Hang on, Rey,” he groaned. “… Still hurts.” He turned so his chest was pressed against her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. Finn felt her relax into his arms and he sighed as well. “I’ve got you.”

He felt her breathing steady and knew she was asleep. He ran through the scene in his mind, memorizing every detail. He really did care about her and he hoped she knew that. Holding her close, there was nothing else that mattered.

 

It was the first time that neither of them were awoken by nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have a problem, okay? I can't stop writing finnrey stuff, I just have too many feelings
> 
> Check out some of my other works if you want more of this ship, and feel free to leave some kudos if you enjoyed it. It really keeps me going!


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